I have done judgment and justice; leave me not to mine oppressors. Be surety for Thy servant for good [undertake for me]; do not let the proud oppress me. (vs121-122)
First, we want defence and protection. He says, “Do not let the proud oppress me”. We’re not able to stand on our own, and faith, the life of Christ’s disciples, demands us to lean upon Him for everything, submitting our care into His hands. He says, “casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Pet 5:7). We are not independent but needy. We are not in control, but we need Him to control all things for our good. And, the fact that all things work together for good doesn’t mean that we don’t pray. Never let one scripture, security in Christ, destroy another Scripture, which teaches us to pray, “Lord, save”.
The Christian is filled with dangers and problems... woes and griefs... and yet we have God to undertake for us and deliver. He said, “Be surety for Your servant for good”. Use Him in prayer, in disappointment, and in concern. If He’s provided Himself a sacrifice for your reconciliation, then He sees and will provide, through prayer, for all that you need.
Secondly, we want to learn. We don’t want to be condemned, or left to ourselves (Ps 119:123-125). He says, “My eyes fail from seeking your salvation and Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statues”. Let parents teach their children, and let us be teachers to those who have erred, rather than proud, in the flesh, and thinking that we are better (Gal 6:1-5). Humble yourself and learn from God. Ask Him to show you the way amidst the warfare of sin and heartache. Don’t be so foolish as to say, “I don’t need You, God”.
It is sad, but most people don’t want to learn God’s ways. They prefer their own, as if He has no power. Yet, we believe that He’s the all-powerful Judge, so we ask Him to show us HIS way, because every path doesn’t lead to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). It’s sadness that men refuse instruction, and it’s God’s glory that He teaches ignorant sinners and gives us the grace of knowledge. Indeed, as we know better, we can do better. Obedience is fruit, which begins with the seed of gospel truth revealed to the heart.
He won’t condemn you; He will teach. He won’t forsake you in failure, but He’ll instruct you in the path. And, hear this instruction obediently, putting it into practice. The Psalmist continued, “I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies”. True KNOWLEDGE is doing what God has said.
Finally, amidst the hatred of men, we admit that we love God’s instruction (Ps 119:126-128). He said, “It is time for You to act, O Lord, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way”. Men HATE knowledge, so we love it, not because we’re are better naturally, but because God has worked a change, making us a distinct and separate people, even as He did Israel. When we see men despising the truth, we also see the end of the their ways, and we love the truth even more, lest we go their way to destruction.
I talk to sinners about Christ, and I hear the stupidest things. Men think that God doesn’t matter, and we CREATE our own reality, as if you can fly, simply because you think you can. So, they jump from this life into hell. They deny absolute truth, and in doing so, they worship their own ideas, opinions, and ultimately, themselves. They make a god of their own creation who deceives them but doesn’t save. We read, ““Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge,
who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a god that cannot save” (Is 45:20). We love the truth, because we see lies - unrepentance, excessive pursuit of this world, and fearlessness before Christ - as foolish.
Don’t be ashamed. God’s instruction is more precious than anything, because the soul is the most precious thing that we have, by far. Jesus taught, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? or what will a man give in exchange for his soul (Matt 16:26)?” We won’t carry gold to heaven, nor will we bring families, friends, or anything else! Only our SOUL will live forever or die forever in hell.
Be about your soul’s business patiently and faithfully. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”, and, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (John 14:15; Heb 12:2). You have very few years on earth to prepare for the biggest reward or meet with the biggest doom. Just as the wealthy labor for their riches, seek MORE precious faith for yourself and others. Faith is the most precious thing that we have: faith that works by love.
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